Marta Cazalla's solitary goal sparked a high-wire act from both Hoffenheim and Bremen to see who could waste more chances in front of goal on Matchday 5. New Delhi: Everyone loves to prod and poke at a team which on paper looks to be a complete package, yet through increasingly baffling events ends up where it should not. Tonight, however, TSG Hoffenheim managed to shut the leaky faucet of a defence against Werder Bremen, winning 1-0 at home on Round 5 of the 24/25 Women’s Bundesliga season.
A free-kick in the 31st minute provided the difference-maker; Hoffenheim winger Ereleta Mehmeti’s delivery at the far post confounded everyone except centerhalf Marta Cazalla, who volleyed from point-blank range to score her first goal of the season. Bremen were successful in responding in the second half with counter-attacking chances falling at the lap of forwards Amira Arfaoui, Larissa Michelle Mühlhaus and Sophie Weidauer, only for them to slip right before the summit and make Hoffenheim pay for their failure to end the contest early. Zero matches into the new season, and expectations were raised to a level where one could safely assume Hoffenheim to join the big clubs up top, or at least pull itself closer to said pack.
Four matches into the new season, and heads had been buried in hands. Head coach Theodoros Dedes had been quick to direct onlookers and critics towards underlying statistics like shots on target and their quality of passing, along with a wish to play “good foo.